when you let your heart win
by shiksa goddess
Summary: He's not exactly sure what it feels like to be in love, considering he's never actually been in it before, but if he were to put a label on this feeling that was bubbling up in his veins right now, he's pretty sure it would be that. Or, Austin's mind during Campers and Complications.


**title: when you let your heart win**

**inspiration/playlist: that's what you get- paramore, so close- calvin harris**

**disclaimer: I don't own.**

**warnings: nothing. just a canon-based story that is cheesy but was fun to write.**

He remembers the last time he saw her in a red dress. Trish's quinceanera, which, to him, had been special. Because, in the two minutes, fifty-seven seconds that that song had lasted, he'd been hers and she'd been his.

Even though that was not what he wanted.

Not at all.

See, what confused him about this whole situation wasn't that he liked Ally. As a matter of fact, over the past week it had become one of the things he was most sure of in this world.

What confused him was Kira and Elliot. He liked Kira, obviously, she was pretty and sweet and fun to be around and at face value, she was his perfect girl, but then Ally Dawson came around in her stupid red dress and maybe his idea of his perfect girl was shifting a littlle. But he was confused as to how the Ally/Kira like ratio was balanced.

(Though he was pretty sure Ally was winning.)

Elliot confused him because he couldn't be sure if having him around was benefitting or terrorizing him.

On one hand, maybe he just wasn't used to having Ally devote all of her attention to another guy. Maybe it could be a good thing! If Elliot and Ally were together, then they could all go on double dates and have fun together and he could pretend that everything was normal and maybe if he waited long enough, things _would _go back to normal.

But on the other hand, Kira or no Kira, seeing Ally and Elliot together would constantly kill him inside.

And he wasn't _that _good of a performer.

/

They're there all right, Elliot in his stupid polo and Ally in her red dress.

And Ally was laughing her unhinibited, carefree laugh and he almost wanted to forbid her from laughing if it wasn't with him.

Somehow, before he even realizes it, he's in a ridiculous competetion with Elliot, who doesn't know music to save his life but knows idiotic things like batiking (as if _that _was impressive).

Kira's watching him, annoyed, complaining about not being able to go to the Katy Perry concert ( he doesn't know why she cares so much, isn't Katy signed to her dad's label, anyways?) but the only thing he can see is Ally over in Elliot's corner and all he wants is for her to be in his.

/

Elliot is winning, and that's not acceptable. The score is 1-4, but honestly, the only thing he cares about winning is Ally.

But to do that, he needs to win this game of air hockey.

/

The score is now 2-4, but it's still not good enough. Trish is beginning to pester them that it's almost nine-closing time- but he's too focused on this game of mancala to care very much.

"Why are you even doing this, Austin?" Trish groans. "Why do you even care?"

His eyes burn fiercely into Elliot's, and he narrows them. Why did he care?

He cared because Ally had suddenly become what he couldn't have- and had become exactly what he wanted.

And right now, Elliot had her. That, he couldn't accept.

So that's why he cared. That's why he had to win.

Because, like mancala, winner takes all.

/

"I won!" He exclaims.

Though it feels a bit of a hollow victory, considering the barbecue sauce dripping down his chest.

Trish apparently agrees. "Really? Cause usually winners aren't covered in barbecue sauce."

She has a point. But still, Elliot had forfeitted. That meant he won.

He glances over at his best friend in her red dress, looking shamefacedly at the whole scene, but she still looks beautiful.

Could he accept his prize now?

/

When he thinks about it, his problems were quite first-class. Deciding between two beautiful girls?

But, then again, it wasn't much of a decision. His heart knew what it wanted, and _"_it" was back at Champy's where he'd left it without much of an explanation.

But no matter what his heart wanted, his head still had no clue how to deal with it.

Kira was awesome. She was beautiful and fun and her father was the head of his record label and she won him a _panda _but it all seemed irrelevant when he compared her to Ally.

She was his best friend. His sweet, beautiful, adorably dorky and awkward best friend.

One of the biggest differences between the two, Kira could probably get any guy she wanted. But Ally was special. Ally was his.

The biggest difference between them was that he really liked Kira, but he was in love with Ally.

(Probably.)

/

She walks into the practice room, curls bouncing against the neckline of her red dress.

He's not exactly sure what it feels like to be in love, considering he's never actually been in it before, but if he were to put a label on this feeling that was bubbling up in his veins right now, he's pretty sure it would be that.

"You don't have to say anything." She tells him.

They stand there awkwardly for a moment, until she adds "I mean, you don't have to not say anything."

He chooses to plead the fifth, but fortunately, Ally jumps in again before the silence gets to be too long.

"Let's just work on the song!" She exclaims, a bit over-enthusiastic.

Before he really understands what's happening, their hands touch and it sends a thousands volts electricity around his body and suddenly he's leaning in and she's leaning in,too, just slightly and he gets a bit scared because if he does this now, he can't ever turn back around.

(Though provided it went well, he doesn't think he'd want to, anyways.)

But before their lips can touch, she turns back around to face the piano keys and he feels his heart sink.

"I was thinking the chorus could go like this." She smiles, looking deep into his eyes.

He grins sheepishly back at her. "Yeah, uh, that'd be great.

It should be one of the most awkward moments of his life, but, turns out it's not. He's there with Ally and she's writing him a song and while he has no clue where he's going to go from here, he feels pretty happy anyways.

She faces the piano keys again, but he keeps his eyes intently on her.

It feels a little bit like a victory.

**A/N: I think it's safe to say that I suck at endings. **

**#WhyDoIEvenBother**

**Oh and I know mancala isn't really winner takes all but I needed an analogy. **

**Glag but anyways I know I screwed up some of the direct quotes but you know what I don't care I just wanted to write this so I did. **

**Four for Glenn Coco. **


End file.
